Hectic In The Jungle

Life here in the jungle has been pretty busy. I started a new job a couple of weeks ago and even though it is for the same hospital doing similar type of work, it's still a change. My brain has felt like my new desk looks...

... full and in need of some organization (that's my Gracie Mae peeking out at us). My new position involves setting up a new program of sorts, or an extension of an existing one, so it's kind of exciting in that respect but I feel a step removed from the actual medical care that goes on so that will be an adjustment. Part of it might be that I haven't gotten in the groove of seeing patients regularly again so maybe I'm just missing that aspect until I can shake out all the administrative type things. My new office is lacking a window, something that will be hard for me, but I have already been trolling poster websites for something "outdoorsy". I do have an entire folder on my computer dedicated to cloud photos, like this one that I took out the bedroom window yesterday. Maybe if I tweak one of them and get it printed up humongo-sized I could have nothin' but sky above my desk.

Everyone has been so apologetic about my bitsy-sized space but I honestly don't care: it's good to have a job in this day and age and I like to think, correctly or not, that I can make any space cute. This little cubby hole of an office would be a great subject for a remodeling post but we'll see how that goes. I've already disarmed half of the florescent lights as their glare off the screen gives me instant and huge headaches.

My Zippy-girl returned after almost two weeks at the beach with a friend, sporting her first real sunburn. I have had skin cancer in the past and while I'm not as rabid about the sun protection as I should be, we do try to make a good effort at protecting our hides. That Zippy got to her teens before her first significant burn is way better than I did and a learning opportunity for her. Now she knows how much a good burn can really hurt. I make sure to play up my sadness that she has to suffer a sunburn to try to emphasize that it's not a desirable thing to get.

This was Zippy's longest time away and there were a couple of late-night texts that made this momma want to jump in the car and drive the 500 miles to "save" her baby but homesickness is something that everyone needs to learn to deal with and I think I did well. Zippy did well too.

So a few things have been happening in the jungle: new job, world traveller kid, new neighbors, wrecks in front of the house, heat, heat, heat, heat, friends to pray for, visiting relatives (gotta love a houseful of Norwegians), dental surgery, and dog fights. Did I mention the heat? But I have managed to finish a little cross-stitch project that I started back in June when we had a lovely Crimson Butterfly at the end of our birth month flower post. June's flower is the rose and I came across a "rose" butterfly but couldn't get it together to use that little lovely so we went with the Crimson beauty. The rose butterfly I discovered is the elegant Ceylon Rose (Atrophaneura jophon) from Sri Lanka.



Photo by Nayana wijetilaka via Wikimedia Commons



This lovely butterfly is found primarily in the lowland evergreen rainforests of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, and grows to about five inches. It is a rare butterfly and critically endangered  by Cites (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) due in most part to habitat loss. Environment Canada has a very nice fact sheet on this butterfly if you would like to learn more about her.



Image via dnp.go.th



But what I really wanted to share with you last month and wasn't able to complete in June is the little cross-stitch I did of our classy Ceylon Rose.

This isn't a complicated pattern at all and in fact, it is actually a crochet pattern designed by Sandy Marshall that I found here. I added the lettering so I'm to blame for that bit of wonkiness but it was great to do some cross-stitch again. There are several butterfly patterns in this series so I might have to try some of the other ones.



And here we are, at the end of today's post. Gosh, we've kind of been all over the place today. I'll finish our July birth month flower in a day or two so please flitter back soon. As always, I so very much appreciate your visiting the jungle.

Stay cool. Use sunscreen- seriously.